


Not like I faint every time we touch

by indigomini



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: #NotSorry, Alternate Universe - High School, Dicks Out For Dumbasses In Love, Fluff, Gay Chicken, I know I said fluff but I promise the angst is small and it adds flavor, I lied, I'm Sorry, It's About To Get Bad, Like nutmeg, M/M, Maybe a little angst, Mmm Kaisoo cookies, Morosexual Jongin and Himbo Kyungsoo, Neo Seoul so I don't have to stick to how Korean schools actually function, No Really Like Actual FLUFF Who am I, Unreliable Narrator, Who Tops? You Top! I believe in you!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 16:24:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21413143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indigomini/pseuds/indigomini
Summary: Between second and third period, Kyungsoo hears the (apparently) widespread rumor that Kim Jongin is gay. By fifth period, the rumor mill has spread to how Kim Hyuna and Kim Hyojong are looking for a third for their secret relationship. Before the last bell of the day rings, there is already talk going around of how some kid, probably also a Kim, was growing weed in the school community garden.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 148
Kudos: 398





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [at1stsoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/at1stsoo/gifts), [peachsooda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachsooda/gifts), [timeforteaaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeforteaaa/gifts).

> Sorry, I'm updating YA and catboy nini asap, but I just really wanted this. This is based off of this series of tiktok videos that (sadly) looks like it's been discontinued: https://twitter.com/percysiths/status/1165325778189475840
> 
> It's just really cute, and I'm dying and I wanted to see it in Kaisoo lens. So here it is. Ideally, super short and cracky and cutes. And wholesome until it's not. <3 Also I wrote this thing in like under 20 minutes in a big, inspired flurry, so please forgive the unbeta-ness. Also, based off of this shitpost that me and Peachsooda knocked out one slow morning: https://twitter.com/filet_jignon/status/1187559857047691266

Between second and third period, Kyungsoo hears the (apparently) widespread rumor that Kim Jongin is gay. By fifth period, the rumor mill has spread to how Kim Hyuna and Kim Hyojong are looking for a third for their secret relationship. Before the last bell of the day rings, there is already talk going around of how some kid, probably also a Kim, was growing weed in the school community garden.

Kyungsoo’s only takeaway from all of yesterday’s gossip was concern for his radishes. Would marijuana sap away the minerals that his little seedlings need? Like, it’s called weed, and weeds take away resources from other plants, right?

“Can I sit here?” he asks. It comes out sounding more like an announcement than a question, but the cafeteria is full and rowdy, and he doesn’t want to waste time standing and muttering.

Kim Jongin looks up from his garlic chips, an odd emotion weighing down his left brow. “Uh. Sure?”

“I had to stay after class and my friends all finished eating already and I couldn’t skip out on eating, because I missed breakfast, and I saw that you were sitting by yourself, and I thought that maybe you would like some company, and I know we don’t normally talk, but I’m trying to be, like, more social and open, so I thought I’d—” He wonders, mid-sentence, if he had a point he wanted to convey, but his burrito is cooling, and it’s only good to eat while the cheese is still in a semi-liquid state. Having decided that, Kyungsoo picks up the burrito and jams half of it into his face hole, determined to ignore the burning, burning pain of molten dairy.

“It’s cool,” Jongin says, lowering his gaze back to the overcooked broccoli in his tray.

“So you’re gay?” Kyungsoo blurts out, once he’s finished gagging on the burrito and had successfully anaconda’d it down his throat, chasing it with some soda. “I heard yesterday that you’re gay.”

“I—”

“Like, that’s okay,” he rushes to continue. “I’m not judging. I just heard, and like, I was just like, I shouldn’t just take gossip at face value, because that’s shallow, you know? Like, love is love, and fuck gender norms and societal expectations and we’re more than just labels, you know?”

Jongin stares at him, wide eyed. He doesn’t answer, and in fact, seems to be holding his breath.

Kyungsoo clears his throat.

“Uhh…” Jongin inhales, shoulders relaxing back into place. “I didn’t know if you were still going. But… yeah, I’m gay.”

“Oh, that’s cool.” Jongin’s face does that bewildered expression again, like he’s readying himself for Kyungsoo to say more. The pressure is on. He rushes to cobble together some more words. “Like, that’s totally cool. _ I’m _ not gay. But like, that’s really cool.”

“I guess?”

“Yeah, live your truth,” Kyungsoo rambles on, nodding to himself in agreeance. With himself. “You’re a really good lunch partner. Do you normally sit over here?”

“No,” Jongin says, after a pause, perhaps waiting for more talk. “I kind of move around. Sometimes, I eat outside, when the weather’s nice.”

“That’s rad,” Kyungsoo smiles. “That’s like, such a bohemian thing. I think everybody just sits exactly where they always sit or their worlds will melt down, you know?”

“I don’t talk to a lot of people,” Jongin says, and then rubs his lips together. It makes him look pensive.

“No?”

“I’m kind of shy, and I don’t really like small talk.”

“Oh, yeah, me neither,” Kyungsoo has finished his burrito, and now with nothing to occupy his mouth or hands, he’s feeling jittery with the sugar rush of the soda. Jongin's got plenty of food left in his tray. A lot of vegetables. That's smart. Vegetables are good for you. “Yeah, people are pretty predictable and they just kind of form cliques and stuff, and I think that like, limits growth, you know? Like we’re here to find out who we are, and people are just trying to find comfort zones, and that’s really cool that you’re just like, trying to figure out your own thing. I respect that.”

He’s nodding absently, and he doesn’t realize it until Jongin nods in slow-motion, following his movement. Kyungsoo stops, feeling the caffeine really kicking in.

“We should hang out,” he suggests, measuring Jongin’s reaction. “Like. Like _ I’m _not gay or anything. But you seem really cool, and I’m just trying to expand my mind and make more friends and stuff.”

Jongin’s brows furrow, as if he didn’t understand what Kyungsoo just asked.

“Is that okay?”

Jongin’s eyes narrow, and Kyungsoo can almost hear the gears turning in his head. He doesn’t get _ why _, it’s a simple enough question.

“That’d be fun,” Jongin answers, and Kyungsoo exhales really loudly. He really needs to remember to breathe after eating too quickly. It’s bad for digestion, he’s heard.

“Oh, that’s really cool. Awesome. Friday? You can come to my house.” He pauses, reflects, “Or I could come to yours. Like, or we can just meet at the- the mall? Or something.”

Jongin thins his lips out for a moment before one end of it curls upward into a little smirk, and at that moment, Kyungsoo’s stomach has some weird digestive twinge up into his chest.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Jongin says.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man it's dumb but it's so cute though

“Is that new?”

Kyungsoo looks down immediately, swatting at the shirt frantically in case the sizing sticker was still stuck on it. “No, uh, no, I’ve had this forever,” he blurts out, giving up but still paranoid. He thought he ripped it out earlier, but some brands don’t care about the environment and have like a bazillion sizing stickers. “I just don’t wear it to school, because like, you know. People.”

Jongin’s gaze slowly drapes over his shirt again, and Kyungsoo squares up his posture. He just swung by the mall earlier, because his dad said he needed some khakis, and since they were having a buy one, get one half off sale, he figured he’d be fiscally responsible and take advantage of a bargain. It would look too weird though, showing up to hang out in brand new clothes. And it’s impolite to brag about new purchases though, is what his mom always tells him. Modesty.

“Why? Do you like it?”

Jongin smiles, and his cheekbones rise up so high, they nearly obscure his eyes. His eyes still sparkle though, the way puppy eyes sparkle, which Kyungsoo never knew was a thing that people’s eyes could do. It’s very neat. He wonders if Jongin knows this about himself.

“I’m just used to seeing you in like, all black,” Jongin answers, and something balls up in Kyungsoo’s stomach. His lunch burrito. Should’ve walked after he ate. Digestion is important. “You look good in green though.”

Oh, thank goodness he’s a growing boy, and digestion troubles vanish in an instant. That would be so awkward, having indigestion the first time he visits a new friend’s house. Jongin’s still wearing what he went to school in, a white Levi’s hoodie and skinny jeans. It’s very clean but casual, and like, it looks nice. He looks nice. Kyungsoo swallows, wondering what it means that Jongin knows he wears black all the time, and after not coming up with any explanation, shrugs, “Thanks.”

Jongin’s room is so interesting. He sleeps on a yo, which he doesn’t bother to roll up and put away. Most of Kyungsoo’s friends have beds, mainly because their dumbasses have all succumbed to back pain and need lumbar support, but also because, like, who doesn’t want a bed?

“I dunno,” Jongin mumbles, following Kyungsoo’s gaze as they walk through the small room. “I like it because it gives me more space.”

He didn’t realize he had said all of that out loud again. That seems to be a common problem lately. He’ll just blurt things out that were supposed to be head thoughts and not public thoughts, but whatever.

“What’s all this stuff for?” Kyungsoo prods at the box full of little vials and fancy things.

“I’m experimenting,” Jongin says, pulling a different box out and showing its contents to Kyungsoo. Inside are tiny little blue square things. “I’ve been making my own watercolors. These are dry now.”

“Oh shit, that’s paint?”

“Yeah.”

Kyungsoo picks one of them up. He doesn’t know anything about paint. He used to draw, but the one time he watercolored anything back in middle school, his paper got too soggy and tore, and somebody tried to explain that he was using the wrong kind of paper, and it was just not meant to be.

“Watercolor is tricky,” Jongin says, and apparently Kyungsoo had said all of that aloud again. “It’s fun though.”

“How do you even make this?”

Jongin opens the other box. Inside is some big glass thing, a squeeze bottle of gooey stuff, and little jars of colored powders. He explains the process, and Kyungsoo did not space out at all, but it’s very complex stuff, and it’s really cool to see someone be so passionate about something. Like, who just _ makes _ paint?

“I dunno, I just thought it’d be fun.”

Oh, he did it again. The talking-without-realizing-it thing. “So you like art and stuff?”

Jongin looks at him. “Yeah.”

He can smell Jongin’s cologne or body spray or mist or whatever he’s wearing. They’re standing rather close, close enough that he can smell Jongin’s perfume, but the room is pretty small, and if a new friend was in Kyungsoo’s room ferreting about, he’d probably stick pretty close too. It smells really nice. Like, warm and… really nice. “I bet you’re like, really good at it.”

“I’m okay,” Jongin says, and then he rolls his lips inward, biting down on them before looking at Kyungsoo. It’s a weird head motion, almost like he’s peeking out at Kyungsoo from underneath his lashes. Like a shy puppy. It definitely makes his eyes sparkle even more. “It’s just something I do for fun. It’s not serious.”

“You know, that’s what I like about you,” Kyungsoo says, squinting to focus on the way Jongin’s cheeks seem to be warming, a peachiness rising underneath the golden shade. It _ is _ warm in the room, but he’s not going to be a rude guest and point that out. “You have all these hobbies, and you- you _ make paint _ and stuff. It’s really neat.”

“I guess. I mean, I just like to draw sometimes. You’re on the judo team, right?”

“Oh, you knew that?” Kyungsoo startles. “Do you like judo?”

“I don’t know anything about judo,” Jongin confesses, waving it off as he stacks his paints into neat little rows. “I just remember seeing you in the group photos and stuff.”

Oh, that’s so interesting, because Kyungsoo probably wouldn’t be able to name off people in group photos that he just sees in passing. In a sport that he’s not into or something. “Yeah, it’s-” The room is _ really _ freaking warm, and for some reason, it brings him a little relief to flap his hands at his sides, like little bits of circulation. “I’m pretty good. I used to draw too.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, like a long time ago. I liked to draw animals. Like wolves and shit.”

“Do you still draw?”

“No.” He studies Jongin carefully. Maybe he should’ve said yes. Except he hasn’t drawn in forever. Not since the watercolor rip fiasco. It’s so warm.

“You should paint,” Jongin suggests, nodding over to his box of little blue paint boxes. “You can have some of mine if you want. Like, it’s probably not the best or anything, but I take a lot of time and I try to be really careful when I mull.”

“That’d be- Yeah. I’d like that. Can I have one?”

Jongin flashes a bright smile. He looks so delightful. Delighted. “Yeah!” Sparkly eyes. “Except you probably need more than just blue. I gave the older ones away. Um. I can make some more later. If that’s okay? Or I mean, I have some paint here, but it’s just stuff I bought online.”

“I don’t want to be a bother,” Kyungsoo rushes out, flailing when he sees disappointment rising into Jongin’s sparkly eyes. “Do you want to just make some now? I can probably help.”

“It takes a while…” Jongin says, but his hesitation sounds like it ends in a question mark more than just an explanation.

“I don’t mind. Unless you mind?”

“I didn’t have anything planned for today anyway.”

How cool, getting to see something get made just for him. Why didn’t he talk to Jongin sooner? Typically, his Friday nights are just training and doing dumb shit with his friends. He’s about to make fucking _ paint _. With a cool new friend who smells nice even when rooms are too warm. Hopefully, he doesn’t smell dank. Crap, that didn’t even occur to him. He should’ve stopped by the fragrance section earlier and misted.

“I should pay you back—”

“Oh, there’s no need for that—”

“No, like, you should let me treat you to something.”

“It’s no big deal. It’s just something fun.”

“It’s custom paint,” Kyungsoo flaps his hands toward Jongin again, wondering why his hands need to be flapped as they continue to do so. “Like, that’s so cool. Do you want… I dunno, free judo lessons or something?”

“I don’t think I’d be good at judo.”

Perfect. Kyungsoo nods, “Yeah, that’s why you’d take lessons.”

“It’s just a gift,” Jongin says. He says it like a little cartoon birdy would. His lips _ pftth _ out, like a little chibi character. He even said it in a little whine. And even afterward, his lips jut out even more, into a big, sulky pout. “It doesn’t have to be like an even exchange or something.”

That’s so generous. What a warm person. He just wants to give Kyungsoo paint that he made. That they’re about to make, in his bedroom, on a Friday night. “Okay,” Kyungsoo nods.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why are they so cute urgh urgh urgh, anyway experimenting with povs, i haven't done this since what we find, and it seemed super cute. anyway, peep the tags, this is a first for me <33

“You _ work _ here?” Kyungsoo’s voice goes up so high in disbelief as he stares, eyes widening even more.

He doesn’t know what to say, and after feeling an awkward smile trying to form, shrugs and nods at the same time. “Yeah.”

“How long have you worked here?” Kyungsoo continues in the same, shrill pitch. “I’ve _ never _seen you here!”

“Umm… A year?”

Kyungsoo’s hands slowly float up to his face, criss-crossing his fingers over the crown of his head, jaw still hanging open in wonder. “No way.”

He, on the other hand, has seen Kyungsoo plenty. The judo team swings by here often. Kyungsoo had never made eye contact before, preferring to load up his frozen yogurt and toppings in silence, gaze lifting just enough to see the screen on the register and slap a few wons out onto the counter.

“It’s ‘cause I’m blind,” Kyungsoo argues defensively, gesturing excitedly at his eyes as he does so. “I have astigmatism. It means I can’t see right.”

“It’s okay,” Jongin shrugs again. “I just thought I’d say hi today.”

“Oh _ man _, I really didn’t know you worked here!” Kyungsoo exhales, blowing his cheeks up and whooshing the air out. He looks really different up close without his trademark glasses. With the sweaty, messy hair and the black judo gi, he looks more like the jock he actually is instead of the confusing bookworm illusion that the thick frames force onto him.

_ Hot _.

“Man, I don’t want to work on breakfalls today,” one of the other judokas complains, knocking shoulders with Kyungsoo, who wobbles, but otherwise doesn’t even seem to notice. “Yo, Soo?”

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there in a bit,” Kyungsoo swipes at his friend distractedly. He’s still smiling. Sometimes, Jongin wonders if this is something Kyungsoo has always done when he talks to people. He doesn’t have much of a reference before last week. It would make sense though. Kyungsoo has the most dazzling smile, and it goes so well with his perfect, glowing complexion and his big eyes. If Jongin looked like that, he’d walk around smiling 24/7 too.

“Dude, we’re gonna miss the hot bitches…” the friend nudges Kyungsoo again, glancing furtively at the wall clock.

“Go see them then,” Kyungsoo pushes back, and then renews his grin at Jongin. “So do you like froyo?”

“It’s not bad,” he mutters, reaching forward to reorient the tongs after Kyungsoo scoops out some gummy bears. Something glints in Kyungsoo’s eyes, and after grabbing some mochi bits, he intentionally swings the tongs the wrong direction, turning another and another as Jongin chases after his path to undo the damage.

“So, like, what’s your favorite?” Kyungsoo manages to ask after a fit of giggles. Oh, he _ giggles _ . Tiny little _ he-he-he _s. 

Jongin shoots him a stern look, making sure to soften it after and pretending to swat at his hand when he reaches for the peanuts. “My favorite? Flavor?”

“Yeah, like, there are a lot of- of choices?” Kyungsoo turns, looking over the dozen dispensers along the wall. “Do you have a favorite?”

“I just-” Jongin bites his lips nervously. “I just grab like a little of everything.”

“That’s so cool,” Kyungsoo smiles again as they side step toward the register and he puts his bowl onto the scale. “I’ll try that next time. That’s a genius idea.”

It didn’t seem like a genius idea, but Jongin is weak for praise nonetheless. He shrugs, something to distract himself enough to keep from doing something embarrassing, like blushing at a long time crush. He hits a button, and the printer shoots out a receipt. “I got this, by the way. Enjoy.”

“What?” Kyungsoo’s eyes grow impossibly big again. “_ Noo _, you don’t have to do that.”

Shoot, that probably was overkill. “I didn’t want any today, and I get a free one everyday, so it’s… it’s no big deal.”

Kyungsoo looks genuinely distraught, oh no. “You— I haven’t even done anything for you, and you gave me the paint on Friday, and now the froyo, like. I feel so bad.”

“Don’t feel bad—”

“Let me treat you back, okay?” Kyungsoo leans across the counter, resting on the tips of his fingers. “We can just go eat somewhere, and it’s my treat. Is that alright?”

That sounds way too much like a date for Jongin’s comfort. “It’s okay, you don’t have to worry about it—”

“Friday night? Please?”

Jongin swallows, hoping that his heart rate slows back down to something healthy. Two Friday nights in a row sounds _ way _ too much like actual interest.

“I just- fuck, you’re such a cool friend. I wanna treat you right- I’d- I mean, I take care of my friends. And like, a lot of those fuckers are ungrateful assholes. And you’re just really cool. Like, let’s go out Friday. Whatever you want. It’d be fun, I promise.”

_ Help, he is not equipped to be rational when Kyungsoo is this enthusiastic _.

“Okay,” Jongin says weakly.

“Cool,” Kyungsoo steps back and beams again, bright teeth shining, lips peeled back so much that the heart shape is misshapen from the gumminess of the grin, it’s so. _ Fucking _. Cute. “Cool,” he says again. “Are you like vegan or anything? You can pick. Like, we can go wherever you want. I’m down with whatever.”

“I’m not,” Jongin rushes, hands up. Somewhere in the background, the door chimes as another judoka steps in and shouts for Kyungsoo to hurry.

“Cool,” Kyungsoo picks up his yogurt, smiling again as he walks backward to the entrance. “I’ll, um, I’ll see you Friday. That’s so cool that you work here. I come here all the time.”

_ I know _, Jongin thinks to himself, fighting the urge to fan himself.

“I’ll come back tomorrow,” Kyungsoo is already halfway out the door, feet dug in at the threshold to keep from getting pulled away by his friend. “Do you work tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” he says, barely getting the syllable out before the door swings shut, Kyungsoo’s friend successfully yanking him through and rushing back to the training hall.

Friday.

Not a date, Jongin reminds himself, breathing out and pacing behind the counter to regain his bearings. Just two new friends. Going out to eat.

Just him and _ Do Kyungsoo _. What the hell is he going to wear?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> life's been busy, YA almost done, but here are some dumb kids uwu

“You made new paint, hyung?” Lucas asks as Jongin slides into his seat by the door.

Jongin hastily flicks the little pan to the opposite side of the desk, hiding it underneath his palm. There’s only one pan. He normally is more than happy to share his creations, but this is a special color. He finished it last night; hours of tireless mulling until it reached the same shade of pine green as Kyungsoo’s shirt when he visited. It’s Kyungsoo-Green. He wants to keep it for  _ just Kyungsoo _ . “I’m just testing something for now,” he rushes out, guiltily avoiding Lucas’s eyes. “It’s not ready yet.”

The freshman moves onto some other topic, and Jongin breathes a sigh of relief. His thoughts drift as he procrastinates working on his assignment, wondering if Kyungsoo has even tried the last paint he gave. Or will he ever? Maybe he’s just humoring Jongin and his nerdy hobbies. He’s really nice, on top of all of his other impossibly great traits. Maybe Jongin’s coming on a little too strong, and shouldn’t be trying to force this hobby onto him like that. He’s super busy and important, and they’re barely new friends, and he shouldn’t be pushy or seem too overly eager or—

“ _ Tohhhhmygod _ —” someone exhales loudly, a hand shooting out in front of him to grab onto the door frame. A moment later, Do Kyungsoo stumbles forward, doubling over, hands on his hips as he tries to regain his breathing. He finally looks up enough to make eye contact with Jongin and holds up a finger, dropping his head again, panting. “Agh… one sec. I—” Clearing his throat, he tries again, walking forward and crouching in front of Jongin’s desk. “I saw you in the hallway, but you didn’t hear me.”

“I’m sorry,” Jongin blurts out, eyes wide in panic. “A-are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“I was just—” Big inhale, long exhale, Kyungsoo’s nostrils flare as his breathing finally steadies. “I just wanted to say hi. Is this your class?”

Jongin looks around the room. The class hasn’t started yet, so it’s only half full, and most of the students are mingling on the other side. He furrows his brows and gives a confused nod. The pan of green paint digs into his palm as a reminder, but Lucas is still right there, and that would be such poor, desperate form to just gift it here. “Yeah…” Jongin says slowly, chewing on his lip. “You wanna step out for a sec?”

“Yeah! I mean,” Kyungsoo swivels in a wide arc, giving him room, “I mean, yeah, after you.”

Jongin stands, curling his fingers protectively around the paint. He leads Kyungsoo out, walking a short distance away from the door before turning. 

Kyungsoo is lagging. He’s still breathing heavy, eyes wide. It makes him look mildly alarmed, which… is a very cute look on him.

“I got you something,” Jongin says and immediately cringes. That came out sounding so awkward. He holds the pan out, but Kyungsoo doesn’t move to take it. In fact, Kyungsoo doesn’t move at all. He’s kind of frozen in place. “...Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes refocus and shoot up to meet Jongin’s.  _ “What?” _ he asks loudly.

“Are you okay?” Jongin asks.

“That’s a really—” Kyungsoo’s eyes sink down again. “That’s a really…  _ short _ shirt.”

Fighting the urge to cover his midriff with his arms, Jongin fidgets with the paint instead. He’d never worn a crop top before, had never had the courage to. And then of course on the day he finally summons up the nerve to, thinking that this black one would kind of couple with Kyungsoo’s style, that his crush would find it weird. “It’s, um… I didn’t think it was  _ that _ short,” he mutters.

“So it’s on purpose like that?”

Let him just combust into flames right here, please. Paint forgotten, Jongin absently flattens a palm over his belly button, pushing into the skin and swallowing hard. “I thought it looked cute.”

After a pause that seems to last for eternity, Kyungsoo nearly shouts, “It does!” He steps and flaps his hands around his face. “No, it’s cute!” he repeats, “It’s— Sorry, I just— I’ve never seen guys wear these before, and it just threw me off… But like, it looks really great on you! I promise! I’m so sorry, I wasn’t judging or anything. It’s… It’s really cute.”

It sounds sincere. Kyungsoo  _ looks _ … sincere? The embarrassment recedes somewhat, and Jongin can feel his face starting to cool down. He bites his lip, looking down at the strip of exposed skin.

“It doesn’t look bad,” Kyungsoo rushes, swatting at him without actually making physical contact. “It’s sexy.”

“Sexy?”

“Like, um,” Kyungsoo starts whirling his hands in a sideways cyclone motion. “Like, that’s the look, right? Like a sexy style. Versus… uh, fuck. Uh. Just, y’know, other styles. It looks nice.”

His hand balls into a fist, and the paint pan digs into his palm, a gentle reminder. Jongin clears his throat, one arm wrapped loosely over his waist. He unrolls his hand, presenting the little green rectangle. “Anyway… Um. I made you another one— I made another one.”

Kyungsoo plucks it out of his hand right away. “Oh shit, for me?”

“Yeah,” Jongin nods affirmative, biting his lips when Kyungsoo smiles his megawatt grin again.

“I tried using the other ones you gave me,” Kyungsoo turns the little pan over in his fingers. “The colors are really pretty, but I kind of suck at it.”

“You don’t have to do it…” Jongin sputters. “I just- You were asking—”

“I really like it,” Kyungsoo insists, “I was just… Maybe you could teach me or something, because I’m doing something wrong. It looks terrible.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t,” Jongin tries to say, but the bell rings loudly overhead. He gives Kyungsoo a guilty look. They’re both technically late for class now. “Crap, sorry,” he says.

“Don’t be sorry!”

“I’ll try to help with the paint later, if you want?” he says as they shuffle closer to the door.

“Yeah!” Kyungsoo says, gaze flitting erratically as they slowly disengage from the conversation. “I’ll, um, maybe see you at lunch?”

“That’d be nice,” Jongin nods.

“By the trees?” Kyungsoo starts walking backward, gesturing vaguely toward the lockers. “I checked the weather. It’s nice out today?”

Jongin smiles and waves, lingering against the doorway. “That’d be nice,” he says, curling in half after the words leave his mouth, realizing that he just repeated himself. Dammit. The teacher still hasn’t arrived though, and he hastily jogs back to his desk. At least that’s out of the way. He had no idea how he would even run into Kyungsoo today.

_ And he said Jongin looked cute. _


End file.
